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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29147229">no need to stay?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Imhilien/pseuds/Imhilien'>Imhilien</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Lucifer (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Dancing, Drama, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode: s04e05 Expire Erect, F/M, Feels, Fluff and Humor, Girls' Night Out, Hurt Chloe Decker, Hurt/Comfort, Jealousy, Miscommunication, Mutual Pining, Sad Chloe Decker</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 08:47:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,228</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29147229</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Imhilien/pseuds/Imhilien</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>AU of S4:E6 episode 'Expire Erect'.</p><p>Lucifer's last case with Chloe is a straight forward one and he walks away afterwards. But will they find their way back to each other?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Chloe Decker/Lucifer Morningstar, Eve/Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>173</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Never promised you a rose garden</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I had this story half finished on my computer and then I saw a story prompt and knew how to end it. I'll mention the actual prompt in the last chapter so there's not too many spoilers right now.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Lucifer announced to Chloe that he wanted to have one last case with her for closure, she felt bewilderment and horror lance through her. This can’t be happening. It is. But doesn’t she deserve this? After all, she had betrayed and almost poisoned him at the urgings of Father Kinley, so he’s decided to move on now as a result.</p><p>She had it coming.</p><p>But maybe she can find him a reason for him to stay as her work partner? She won’t expect any more than that, now that Eve is in his life. Really. She doesn’t want to beg, but she doesn’t want Lucifer gone from her life, either. That’s the truth.</p><p>As it turns out, their last case is a fairly straightforward one of someone found dead at a carnival. There’s not too many nasty surprises or serious injuries as the case progresses. Well, Lucifer did get a mild scratch on his arm, but Eve was there that time to fuss and coo over him.</p><p>“The LAPD has been hell on my wardrobe,” Lucifer sighed, more concerned about the tear in his Armani (or was it Prada; Chloe could never tell) jacket. Eve coos as if on cue while Chloe pasted a sympathetic smile on her face. In the meantime, her heart continued to feel as if it was breaking as she felt time run out.</p><p>Each time Chloe wants to ask Lucifer to stay, though, the words choke in her throat or Eve is there and the timing is wrong. She ends up feeling she’s lost the right to ask him to stay.</p><p>The sun shines brightly, the witnesses are helpful, a murder weapon is found and a suspect confesses. Justice is done and a message is emphasized quite loudly that you shouldn’t judge people by their appearances. This only serves to make Chloe feel even smaller.</p><p>Lucifer declares once it’s over that this was a last, great case for Deckerstar! He smiles down at Chloe but his dark eyes are unreadable, with no clue of what he’s feeling.</p><p>She should ask him to stay, but she can’t.</p><p>“It was great working with you,” Chloe began awkwardly before pausing, feeling as if she’s about to cry.</p><p>The Detective wasn’t going to ask him to stay, Lucifer realised with mixed emotions. But was that a tear in her eyes?</p><p>Then his phone chimes at him; it’s a text from Eve asking him about something naughty later tonight. Distracted by thoughts of the First Woman, he turned away from Chloe for a moment to quickly text a reply to her.</p><p>But by the time that he looked back up, the Detective was walking away from him, her back straight.</p><p>Not once during the case had she asked him to stay. But he wanted closure, right? The Devil has got what he wanted. But there’s a sour mixture of feelings in him; regret, bitterness, relief. Sadness. She had been his Detective.</p><p>But maybe it’s for the best, it’s time to move on and this way he can spend more time with Eve who truly accepts him. Right? Also, he's quite capable of punishing evildoers all by himself, he doesn't necessarily need the Detective at his side.</p><p>But had that been a tear in the Detective’s eyes?</p><p>Chloe had walked away when Eve had texted him yet again; she knows that particular sound assigned to her on Lucifer’s mobile by heart now. Maybe treat it as a sign it was time for her to leave.</p><p>But her heart felt like it had turned to stone.</p><p>TBC</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Dance away the heartache</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>At work from then on, Lucifer’s absence is noticeable. Chloe doesn’t realise how much life and animation at times he brought to the precinct until he left. The others missed him and Chloe is blamed for it sooner or later. Oh, not to her face, of course. But people’s faces cool noticeably if they look her way, conversations fade to nothing when she walks past a group of people. </p>
<p>Chloe must have done <i>something</i>, said <i>something</i> and that’s why Lucifer left, the whispers say when they reach her ears. She can’t argue with that, since they did get it right, she thinks with a heavy heart.</p>
<p>Ella is still friendly, but sometimes Chloe catches a look of hurt and bewilderment on her face, as if she had seen Chloe kick a puppy. Dan is satisfied that Lucifer has left, but doesn’t intervene much when Chloe starts being excluded by others like she was after Palmetto.</p>
<p>Chloe’s on her own again out in the field with no partner. To her credit, she still works hard and still solves cases, but not as many as before. Some cases take longer to solve without Lucifer’s help and the contacts he knows.</p>
<p>Sometimes she’ll feel tempted to text Lucifer, but then imagines he’s with Eve and her texting will be seen as something intrusive from someone who hasn’t ‘moved on’. So she puts the phone back down.</p>
<p>Trixie hears about Lucifer having left the precinct from Dan, with Chloe having to stiltedly explain to her daughter that Lucifer has other things on in his life now. But she feels smaller in Trixie’s eyes as she says it.</p>
<p>It doesn’t help that Trixie had learned to stop asking why Lucifer no longer turned up for games night.</p>
<p>One day, Ella asks Chloe to have a girls night out at Lux. She feels awkward and is tempted to say no, but doesn’t want to let down Ella even further.</p>
<p>“All right,” she agrees and Ella beams.</p>
<p>“Great, I’ll pick you up,” she said chirpily.</p>
<p>Chloe does admit to herself it would be nice to see Lucifer again, if only from a distance. She hopes he’s happy – that Eve makes him happy. Really. She wears a slinky, pale blue dress she found in a sale, puts her hair up in a stylish bun.</p>
<p>But as soon as Chloe enters Lux, she knows she’s made a mistake. Her cop’s instinct tells her that something is wrong.</p>
<p>On the surface though, everything seems normal. The nightclub is almost full to bursting with the beautiful and glamorous. Alcohol is flowing freely, the right music is playing. But is the music playing a bit too loudly, the lights far too bright?</p>
<p>“Isn’t this great?” a happy Ella says cheerfully, a brightly coloured drink having found its way to her hand.</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Chloe agrees to keep the peace.</p>
<p>Then she spots Lucifer in the distance; he’s wearing a dark red shirt underneath his customary tailor-made black jacket and trousers. There’s no doubt he’s in charge, but there seems to be a restless, manic air to him. Like someone who drinks and drinks, but can’t find any satisfaction. </p>
<p>Eve is there at his side, clinging to his arm and laughing at something no doubt Lucifer has said. She’s wearing a red silk dress that shimmers and shines underneath the lights, as well as sparkly, red high-heeled shoes.</p>
<p>Lucifer meets Chloe’s gaze across the distance between them and for a second his dark eyes brighten before they become flat and wary. </p>
<p>Chloe’s heart sinks. <i>I’m sorry I hurt you</i>, she thought.</p>
<p>Her thoughts are interrupted by Ella, who eagerly tugs on Chloe’s sleeve as two men approach them. They both have blond, surfer-type looks and look friendly enough.</p>
<p>“Care to dance, ladies?” one of them asks with a smile that reaches his green eyes.</p>
<p>“Yes!” Ella immediately says, giving Chloe a look that meant <i>come on, let’s do it, it’ll be fun!</i></p>
<p>“Sure,” Chloe agrees, pasting a smile upon her face. She was an actress once, after all.</p>
<p>Lucifer knows when the Detective is here at Lux by the fact that everything he’s just recently drunk or taken starts fizzing through his body like wildfire, though the rush won’t last too long, anyway. Once again, the Detective gifts him with vulnerability… he didn’t realise how much he had missed it.</p>
<p>He’s not certain whether to feel pleased or wary when they spot each other. Has she come to see him? No, not quite; Chloe’s here with a bouncy Miss Lopez and makes no move towards him. He’s tempted to rush to her side and ask what case she’s working on.</p>
<p>But no, he walked away from all of that, didn’t he?</p>
<p>But he hasn’t been too sad without the Detective, he’s a big devil, after all.</p>
<p>No, he’s not paying any extra attention to the Detective; even though the sight of her in her blue dress takes his breath away. She looks like sunshine and soft blue skies right here in his nightclub. He’s definitely not noticing or caring that two idiot men have asked them both to dance and they’ve accepted. How dare those men intrude here?</p>
<p>How dare the Detective dance with one of them? Anger, resentment and something else rush through him with hot outrage.</p>
<p>But two can play that game.</p>
<p>“Let’s dance,” Lucifer says decisively to Eve, grabbing her hand maybe a bit too roughly and heading to the dance floor.</p>
<p>Eve follows willingly, her large, dark eyes shining in anticipation. She notices that Chloe and her work friend Ella are here, but it’s a relief to see they are each dancing with someone. That’s great!</p>
<p>Or is it?</p>
<p>For, as Eve glances at Lucifer, she notices the tight line of his jaw, the way there’s almost flickers of crimson in his eyes as he stares grimly in Chloe’s direction. Oh, but this will be exciting after all, Eve thinks with a thrill. Surely it will lend some spice to things later on when they’re alone. Truth be told, Lucifer has been a bit <i>boring</i> since he stopped going to that work of his. </p>
<p>He mopes a bit by himself, playing mournful-sounding songs over and over on his piano when they’re not having sex, but shows some animation when he puts on the evening news, especially if there’s been a crime story. His gaze quickly scans the TV screen then, as if he’s looking for something – or someone in the background.</p>
<p>Lucifer was supposed to be more fun to be around, honestly! He was supposed to be the rebellious, gorgeous angel she remembers wistfully from the Garden of Eden so long ago. He should be treating LA right now like his glittering playground, the rest of the planet too in time, with her at his side. It’s all a bit odd, really.</p>
<p>In the meantime, though, Eve knows they’ll make the most attractive couple on the dance floor.</p>
<p>Chloe is having some fun with her dance partner, but she can’t help but notice when Lucifer and Eve head out on to the dance floor, looking like a matched pair of almost diabolical beauty in shimmering red and black. Space opens up around them straight away – but was it people deferring to them and giving them space? Or was its Lucifer’s mojo somehow pushing them away even as his every move still demanded attention and admiration from onlookers. For he was a good dancer (as Chloe well knew) and so was Eve, which wasn’t a surprise.</p>
<p><i>Look at us,</i> they seemed to say. <i>Admire us</i>.</p>
<p>They look like a matched pair as they dance together, a power couple for the ages and Chloe feels pale and washed out besides them in comparison in her blue dress.</p>
<p>Chloe’s determined not to look at them more than necessary. After all, she’s having some fun dancing with someone ordinary… but whose name she will probably forget tomorrow.</p>
<p>
  <i>Look at us dancing.</i><br/>
<i>Look at me, Detective, look at me…<br/>
Chloe, look at me!</i>
</p>
<p>Chloe can almost hear Lucifer’s voice with that British accent of his in her head, angry and also anguished as well…</p>
<p>“Chloe!”</p>
<p>She blinked and came back to herself to find Ella talking loudly at her. She hadn’t realised how much time had passed by.</p>
<p>“Do you want to stop for a drink?” Ella said enthusiastically, nodding towards the bar.</p>
<p>Chloe agrees and her partner – Rob – does so amiably as well.</p>
<p>As they make their way to the bar, Chloe almost feels compelled to go back out on the dance floor, where Lucifer would wish to dance with her. Or maybe not. </p>
<p>But Lucifer’s mojo never worked on her as it did others, so it fell back, frustrated. Its owner feeling alone in the crowd, even with a beautiful woman in his arms who would do whatever he wanted. But she would never talk back to him the way the Detective did so fearlessly, or roll her beautiful blue eyes at his antics.</p>
<p>Chloe has a drink, but then after a while pleads a headache and gets a taxi home. </p>
<p>Ella shook her head sadly but didn’t stop Chloe from leaving. She would love to know why Lucifer left, for she can tell the detective is hurting, even though she won’t admit it. To be honest, things have been strained at times between those two ever since Chloe abruptly took that month long vacation to Europe earlier in the year. Another mystery she would like to get to the bottom to.</p>
<p>TBC</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. but the road was rough, to get back where you are</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>TW for a car accident</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chloe keeps her continued sadness about the absence of Lucifer in her life behind a professional mask these days. She refused to go back to Lux again when asked a second time, which probably gave her feelings away. But that’s how it is.</p><p>One day she stopped at a place to get a coffee, when she sees a car weaving over the road… heading for a teenager on the sidewalk who was too busy looking at her phone.</p><p>No one else was close enough to help, so without thinking twice, Chloe ran towards the teenager and pushed her out of harms away just in time.</p><p>But that meant she was in harms way now, with the car hitting her instead.</p><p>Chloe felt her body flying through the air and thoughts rushed through her mind – would she ever see her daughter again?</p><p>She wishes she had mended things with Lucifer.</p><p>Then everything went dark.</p><p>* * * * * * * *</p><p>Chloe wakes after what seems to be a long time later only to find she’s in a hospital bed in her own private room. She was wearing bandages and hooked up to various things that were keeping pain at a distance.</p><p>She’s surprised to see that Lucifer is there at her bedside, his tall frame somehow crammed in a hospital chair though he appears to be sound asleep. His head was resting on the bedclothes and facing her. What’s he doing here?</p><p>He looks a tired mess; he’s rarely appeared less than immaculate around her, though there was that time she accused him of looking like a homeless magician. His black hair was untidy curls, his face noticeably unshaven instead of his usual designer stubble. Lucifer’s wearing a black suit with a violet silk shirt underneath, but it all looks rumpled and crumpled.</p><p>Chloe felt the urge to smooth back some of his hair, but only Eve has that right these days. She shifted her limbs, testing her movements and her actions stir Lucifer to wakefulness. </p><p>He immediately sat up.</p><p>“Detective!” he exclaimed with a raw look in his eyes. “You’re awake!”</p><p>Chloe blinked at him.</p><p>“What are you doing here?” she asked, her voice sounding rough from disuse. </p><p>She coughed and Lucifer immediately fetched her a glass of water to drink with a straw that was sitting on a side table, having made sure she was propped up first. His dark gaze upon her looked slightly uncertain as he did so, as if he expected her to recoil from such close contact while she was in a vulnerable state.</p><p>It made her heart feel heavy all over again, but she nodded at him in thanks and saw the uncertainty fade from his eyes.</p><p>But then Lucifer stared at her as if she had lost her wits.</p><p>“You were injured, Detective. You nearly died being selfless again; it was all over the news,” he said pointedly with a hint of bitterness. “Don’t you think it wouldn’t hurt me if you actually died? Where you go, I can’t follow, Dad knows.”</p><p>“But you left after our last case – you wanted closure,” Chloe pointed out in bewilderment. “I didn’t stop you.”</p><p><i>All over the news,</i> she thought with some dread. The paparazzi had obviously never quite lost its fascination with the B-movie actress-turned Detective that she was.</p><p>He said in a low voice, “You didn’t ask me to stay.”</p><p>Chloe shook her head in misery, the words pouring out of her.</p><p>“How could I? I nearly poisoned you; I’m so sorry how I acted after I saw your face. How could I ask you to stay when you wanted to leave?”</p><p>She closed her eyes as a tear ran down her face.</p><p>“You betrayed and hurt me, Detective,” she heard him say slowly. “But there’s a Detective-shaped hole in my life now… and that hurts too.” </p><p>Chloe opened her eyes and looked at him.</p><p>“I’m sorry. I want you to be happy,” she said simply.</p><p>“But I’m the Devil,” he said tightly and as she looked at him, she saw small flames dancing in his eyes. </p><p>“You’re a good person, you deserve to be happy,” Chloe said honestly. “I’m not frightened.”</p><p>Lucifer stared at her with slight bewilderment, the flames fading from his eyes.</p><p>“Eve’s been talking, she wants us to leave and go to Vegas, for a start. Go and do whatever we like,” he said pensively.</p><p>Chloe fought to keep dismay off her face even as she felt it go pale.</p><p>“Sure. It’s good to travel,” she managed to say evenly.</p><p>The Detective still wouldn’t ask him to stay, even though Lucifer could see it would pain her to see him leave LA. She wanted him to be happy… no matter the cost to her. She had accepted him for who he was. How could he go to another city after that?</p><p>Eve would be annoyed that he wants to stay, but it couldn’t be helped. Even though he seems to easily annoy the First Woman these days, despite himself.</p><p>“But I’ve realised LA is where I need to be, with the Hot Tub Heroine… if she wants me back at work,” he said with more warmth in his voice.</p><p>“Hot Tub Heroine?” Chloe asked warily.</p><p>Lucifer smirked at her and suddenly it was like old times. </p><p>“Oh, that’s your name now, Detective! I’ll have to get your autograph.”</p><p>The Detective sighed and rolled her eyes at him.  He had missed that, Lucifer realised with a lump in his throat.</p><p>Then she peered at him.</p><p>“I’d like it if you came back to work,” Chloe confessed.</p><p>Lucifer’s face brightened at that. The Detective had asked him back.</p><p>Then he carefully reached out to hold one of her hands with his warm, big one, his face now looking tentative.</p><p>“You found out who I was at the worst moment, really. I have to take some responsibility for that, Detective,” he said sadly.</p><p>Chloe smiled at him and gently squeezed his hand.</p><p>“Crime fighting devil,” she mumbled with some amazement in her voice before she yawned, feeling tired again.</p><p>“Get some beauty sleep,” Lucifer said gently. “I’ll be here when you wake.”</p><p>Chloe relaxed as she felt sleep claim her. She had her partner back and everything would be fine.</p><p>FINIS</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Inspired by the prompt by samcaarter – ‘Chloe gets shot and ends up in the hospital. Lucifer doesn’t take it very well.’</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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